Working in retail isn’t for the faint of heart, according to Carlyn Claiborne.

The New Bridge Organic Market employee has worked in retail for seven years. Her first job out of high school was at a lingerie chain and she later worked at a home and body fragrance shop then “kind of bounced around in retail.”

Before starting work at the market, Claiborne said she didn’t want to work in retail again.

“It’s hard dealing with the public on a daily basis,” she said.

But she opted to apply anyway because she shopped at the store, lives an organic lifestyle and wanted to help people learn about products she was familiar with.

“This job is more than just selling. I’ve been able to really create personal relationships with customers,” she told The Daily News in between customers.

Claiborne said that she and her customers learn from each other, whether it’s about products, natural healing or about the customers.

Claiborne is just one of the millions working in retail in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 4.34 million people worked as retail salespersons in May 2012, making it the largest occupation in the country. It’s also the largest in Onslow County, with nearly 22 percent of the employed population in 2012 working in retail trade, according to the Onslow County Industry and Wages annual report.

For Linda Davis, working in retail was a life change. She was about to retire as a computer analyst for the government when she decided to take a hobby and turn it into a business. She opened the Tail Spinner 11 ˝ years ago and now shares her passion for spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting, felting and other fiber arts and crafts with customers five days a week.

While Davis has “wonderful customers,” including some from out of town who stop in while visiting family stationed in the area, her favorite part of working in retail is doing something she loves. She not only sells what’s needed to get going on a project, the store also offers classes.

“We’re preserving some historical art forms and also something people have always loved to do, which is knitting and crochet,” she said.

And while Davis says helping someone learn a new craft is a lot of fun, it’s not as fun as when the project ends.

“Seeing the final product when someone sees it and knowing that I helped them is just something great,” she said.

Davis said she’s been lucky since most of her customers are “exceptionally nice people.”

“I have not had a rude customer hardly, there might be one or two but they’re so few and far between,” she said. Most of the people who have visited our shop are just the nicest people, I am very fortunate in that.”

Page 2 of 2 - For Amanda Semple, assistant manager of Peebles in Jacksonville, working in retail was an easy choice. When she started there nine years ago, other businesses were paying $5.15 an hour and Peebles was paying $6.

“They were paying more and they were flexible with my school schedule, the people who come and shop here are really nice,” she said.

Semple said she also worked at a pretzel shop until she was promoted to a full-time position with the store and could focus on her one job.

She said she likes to get to know the store’s customers and for them to leave the store with the smile.

“I like doing customer service, making people happy … getting to know them personally, know them by their name. That’s how it is here, other stores you don’t get to do that because so many people come in,” she said.

Davis said that the key to working in retail is to provide good customer service.

“If you treat them with respect, likewise they come back to that,” she said, explaining that she tries to be helpful and provide a special touch or help whenever she can. “I think that makes a big difference.”

Semple said that customers should keep in mind that, even when the customer is frustrated, retail employees will try their best to make sure you leave the store happy.

“We’re trying to make you happy. We will do anything to accommodate you, The customer is always right ... it’s true,” she said.

While Claiborne now has what she considers an “open-minded” and “compassionate” customer base, that wasn’t always the case.

She remembers other jobs where working with customers left her exhausted at the end of the day. Claiborne said that there are many things that people do without thinking of the effects on others, like retail employees.

“It’s hard as an employee to provide excellent customer service when you aren’t necessarily receiving that,” she said.

Claiborne said that her mom always told her to treat others like she wanted to be treated, and that some may forget that when they “get into their daily grind.”

Claiborne said that those considering work in retail may be surprised.

“People get very irrational when they want something; luckily here it’s completely different,” she said. “It might not be physically exhausting but it’s mentally exhausting.”

Amanda Hickey is the government reporter at The Daily News. She can be reached at amanda.hickey@jdnews.com.